Godzilla Minus One‘s Takashi Yamazaki might be hard at work on the sequel to his Oscar-winning monster epic, but he's got his sights set on another kaiju project – a Godzilla amusement park ride that features brand new footage from the director himself.
Godzilla The Ride: Giant Monsters Ultimate Battle is due to open this summer at Seibuen Amusement Park in Tokorozawa, Japan, and will then roll out to other locations across the country (and, fingers crossed, internationally too!)
An official press release from Toho doesn't offer a huge amount in the way of details, other than “the plan is for the scope and scale to surpass that of the original acclaimed theme park experience, offering fans once again an experience unlike anything they’ve ever witnessed featuring the King of the Monsters.”
Here's what Yamazaki himself has to say of the ride:
“I’m thrilled to return to Godzilla’s world from the passenger seat. What powerful foes will emerge? Where will this ride take us next? As a ride enthusiast myself, I can’t wait for my first spin—and I’m working day and night with our team to make this the most terrifying ride in the world.”
Although not confirmed, it's safe to assume Godzilla The Ride: Giant Monsters Ultimate Battle is part of Toho's so-called “Godzilla Strategy”, which sees the company investing 15 billion yen into expanding on games, products, and attractions featuring the infamous giant reptilian.
Godzilla Minus One, which starred Ryunosuke Kamiki as a failed kamikaze pilot trying to defend a ravaged Japan from the radiation-breathing beast, racked up $116 million internationally via initial and theatrical re-releases, and took home the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Yamazaki is also currently working on his English-language debut, Grandgear, with Sony Pictures and J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot.
Fingers crossed that Godzilla The Ride: Giant Monsters Ultimate Battle makes its way across the world at some point. For more Godzilla goodness, here's our list of five kaiju we'd love to see in Yamazaki's next feature.
